AkaYona Secret Santa - 25 Fics
by Charlie Chaplin 2
Summary: I was the AkaYona Secret Santa for LordLaven, and my gift was an offering of 25 Akatsuki No Yona fics featuring many of the AnY characters in various scenarios. Some Christmassy, most not, some modern AUs, some within canon, all are good fun. Enjoy!
1. List of Prompts

Hey All!

Just a quick introduction, I signed on to the AkaYona Secret Santa over at Tumblr (which was GREAT, btw, check out the Akayonasecretsanta blog over there to read some fun fics and see pretty, pretty art!)

My contribution was to write- ok, _is_ to write (since I'm not done yet...), an individual, standalone ficlet for 25 Christmas prompts (see below for the list). Now, some of these _are_ Christmas-themed, but not all (actually, most won't be).

Anyone who is somewhat familiar with my writing knows I'm an angst-lover, but as this was a Christmas gift, I am doing my very bestest to keep it light and funny... I hope I succeed! They won't be posted in order, because I am not nearly organised enough for that (apologies).

As always, feedback is much appreciated, criticism (helpful, of course) is always welcome!

Best wishes and HAPPY NEW YEAR (also, belated Merry Christmas too!)

Charlie x

 **25 Christmas Prompts**

 **December 1:** Star ( _Zeno, Shin Ah, Abi.)_

 **December 2:** Hot Chocolate ( _Hak, Jae Ha._ )

 **December 3:** Snow

 **December 4:** Candy Canes

 **December 5:** Christmas Tree ( _Zeno, Kaya._ )

 **December 6:** Angel

 **December 7:** Pyjamas ( _Yona, Yun, Hak, Jae Ha, Kija, Shin Ah, Zeno._ )

 **December 8:** Tinsel

 **December 9:** Ice Skating

 **December 10:** Frost

 **December 11:** Eggnog

 **December 12:** Cider

 **December 13:** Peppermint

 **December 14:** Gingerbread

 **December 15:** Presents

 **December 16:** Fireplace

 **December 17:** Stocking

 **December 18:** Cookies

 **December 19:** Santa

 **December 20:** Sled

 **December 21:** Snow Man

 **December 22:** Jingle Bells

 **December 23:** Carols

 **December 24:** Icicle

 **December 25:** Christmas Movies


	2. Star (December 1)

**Star (December 1)**

 _Summary:_ Zeno realises that there is someone missing from the tent. When he finds him, it reminds him of someone he knew long ago.

 _Characters:_ Zeno, Shin Ah, Abi.

* * *

As winter approached the air was growing colder, Zeno could feel it in his bones, soon there would be a nip to it that would bite at his nose and send little shivers running through him. Tonight was one of those clear nights where not a single cloud was present in the sky for the stars to hide behind, and even though it wasn't quite winter just yet, it was cold enough to for him to wrap the blanket around him a little bit tighter and curl further into what he assumed was a sleeping Hakuryuu.

He was quick to realise, however, that something was amiss. Yona and Yun might share a tent a third of the size of the one allocated to the dragons and Hak, but even with the extra space there were still five fully grown men (including two very tall and broad ones) occupying it. When everyone was in there things got crowded, to say the least, and with all the shifting around which occurred during the night most mornings revealed dragons literally asleep on top of other dragons. Zeno never really minded, and on particularly dark nights like this when the air threatened to turn cold, the shared body heat was actually a very welcome advantage - even if it meant being subject to a regular kicking of the shins (courtesy of the Hakuryuu), the odd elbow to the face (thanks, Ryokuryuu) and waking up at weird angles with someone's knee in his back (usually the Thunder Beast's).

Tonight however, as Zeno was settling in, his eyes drifting closed, he noticed that there was just far too much space for him to spread out over. It took him less than a moment to clear the sleep from his brain and realise that someone was obviously missing from their normally cramped pseudo-nest. This was not an unusual occurrence considering the Little Miss' preference for training at night always involved the Mister and sometimes a dragon or two watching over her, but it was too late even for that.

He stood quietly, doing his best to avoid waking the others. The darkness was already deep, and with the thickness of the tent cloth blocking any outside light from entering it was impossible to see even his own hand in front of his face, but fortunately Zeno didn't need his sight to know who was most likely still awake and where the missing dragon probably was. He felt his way silently along the edge of the tent, creeping to the flap.

 _The Seiryuu._

On such a night as tonight, with the sky so clear and the moon dim and low, Zeno knew exactly why his fellow dragon was still up. _Just like Abi_ …he thought, wistfully, _so different and yet just the same_. He wrapped his scarf around his neck tightly, gearing himself to meet the cold, and pushed the tent flap open.

Once outside he made his way through the woods which bordered their camp. Practically blind in the darkness he walked without a single faltering step amongst the uneven ground, easily avoiding roots and clusters of foliage, letting his well-aged instincts guide him until he reached a nearby clearing. Grinning, he felt Shin Ah's presence more than saw him and approached until he was close enough to see a vague outline of him. "Enjoying the view?" he asked as a cool breeze blew past them both.

Having taken the Seiryuu by surprise, he suddenly found himself the focus of a pair of scintillating eyes and his heart skipped a few beats. No matter how many times he'd seen their golden hue they never failed to strike him with their beauty.

"S-sorry." Shin Ah turned away quickly. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Zeno felt the familiar tiny grips of Ao as she began crawling up his pant leg. "You didn't," he said offering the squirrel his hand so he could lift her to his shoulder. "It was admiration. Zeno has yet to see anything in this world more dazzling than the eyes of the Seiryuu."

Still unused to such lavish praise, Shin Ah stewed in silent embarrassment before eventually mumbling out a bashful "thank you."

The Ouryuu pressed Ao against his cheek gently, rubbing his own soft skin against that of her fluffy fur. "Since the sky is so clear and the light isn't very bright, the Seiryuu must be having a spectacular view of the heavens," he said, making conversation. "Zeno didn't mean to disturb, but if the Seiryuu doesn't mind Zeno would like to stay here for a while, by his side."

Blushing deeply Shin Ah took the hint that he was free to resume his previous activity. "I will be happy if you stay," he said softly and then tilted his head all the way back, staring upwards, his mouth agape as he marvelled at a view only he was privileged enough to see.

"It must look pretty amazing up there."

"Yes…" Shin Ah replied, his gaze unwavering from the view above him, "it's really beautiful…" He was not a man of many words, Zeno noted, but there was so much he conveyed with each one them. It made him smile wistfully and think of another Seiryuu, from very long ago.

Abi was much more refined in his mannerisms than Shin Ah was, or was likely to ever be, though he couldn't help noticing that the latter was much sweeter in character… much more of an adorable and genuine innocent. Zeno had taken a liking to the new Seiryuu from the moment he had met him as a child: a lonely little boy, with a heart made of gold, brimming with rare kindness - what was there not to love about him? But Abi… Zeno felt an old and familiar prickly sting at his heart. Abi was Abi, he had been special. Just like Shu Ten, Gu En and the Hiryuu, Abi had been a part of Zeno's very first family, and he missed him dearly.

He knew it was wrong to compare, to seek his old friends in his new ones, but the dragon blood was passed down from person to person, there was always supposed to be a little bit of that magical creature in each and every one of them, some small aspect of themselves which was constant, recognisable: sometimes when he looked at Kija, especially when he was in the midst of a good fight - his heart thrumming with reckless abandon, his power unleashed and wreaking havoc - Zeno could see glimmers of Gu En. Those moments made him unbearably happy. It had not been until this very night, however, that he had been able to find that commonality between the two Seiryuus. Now that he had, as small a thing as it was, he wanted to weep for joy.

They stood together in happy silence, Shin Ah unsure of what else to say, content to have company as he looked up in wonder, and Zeno lost in his own memories.

 _It had been deep into the night, nevertheless the moon was full and white, casting out such a bright light that Zeno could see the figure of the Seiryuu from his palace chamber window as clearly as if it had been the middle of the day. Curious as to why Abi would be sitting out in the courtyard so late, Zeno realised that he'd had no other choice but to investigate. Tossing his prayer beads onto his bed, he rushed out of his quarters and outside._

 _"What are you doing?" he asked when he had caught his breath, "Are you praying?" With the moonlight so bright, the parts of the Seiryuu that it highlighted were practically glowing. The coldness of the beams and the blue of his hair gave him an ethereal presence, as if the dragon himself had come down again and stood in place of the man._

 _"Meditating," Abi corrected absentmindedly, without looking away from his view of the night sky._

 _Zeno frowned, confused. The Palace boasted a small prayer room, a medium sized prayer room, alarge prayer room, luxurious chambers and not one, but two Gardens of Peace (not to mention all the other gardens scattered amidst the buildings), a small lake (or big pond, depending on who you were asking), a gazebo in the middle of said body of water, a room of fine art, a room of calligraphy art, a tower which looked out into the city below and the most comprehensive library in the entire empire. Why the Seiryuu had chosen to stand in the middle of the simple, high-walled courtyard made no sense, and more importantly, "Since when does meditating involve looking up?"_

 _"Since I decided that it should," Abi answered curtly._

 _Understanding that he was not going to receive a more detailed answer than that, Zeno moved onto another question. "Doesn't your neck hurt?"_

 _"No."_

 _The Ouryuu didn't quite believe him. Otherworldly or not, he was just as susceptible as everyone else to pains in the neck. "Are you sure?"_

 _Abi huffed, clearly annoyed at having his peaceful contemplation interrupted. "I can cope fine, thank you," he stated, his gaze still very firmly fixed on what floated above him._

 _"Why don't you just lay on the grass and look up?"_

 _"That's undignified."_

 _"But your neck wouldn't hurt," Zeno reasoned, "and no one would see."_

 _"You would."_

 _He waved his hand dismissively. "I don't matter."_

 _"Of course you do."_

 _Abi's tone was unexpectedly forceful and Zeno was suddenly very grateful that the Seiryuu's perceptive gaze was still fixed on the sky or he would have certainly seen the blush which rosied his cheeks. "But why look up?" he asked, determined to have all of his curiosity sated._

 _"I like the view. It helps."_

 _He didn't get it. "The view?" Zeno looked up himself, but with the moon blocking out all other light, there were no stars to be seen, only an empty dark sky. "It's just a black abyss."_

 _"To you, maybe." No longer able to concentrate, Abi tore himself away from the sky to look at Zeno._

 _Faced with such a mighty gaze, the Ouryuu had to stop himself from sharply taking in a breath. He swallowed heavily. "What does it really look like up there?" he asked when he recovered._

 _"It's very pretty."_

 _"What can you see?"_

 _"A lot." He kept his answers short, hoping Zeno would get the hint that he wanted to be left alone. "Isn't it late? Shouldn't you be asleep?"_

 _Zeno grinned. "I could ask you the same question."_

 _"As I have already explained," Abi said sharply, "I was meditating."_

 _Getting the not-so-subtle hint, the blond lifted his hands in apology. "Sorry, sorry. I'll be quiet from now on."_

 _"Thank you." He took in a deep breath to refocus his energy and looked up into the sky again._

 _Zeno sat himself on the grass, doing his best to make as little noise as possible. Instead he watched, observing the glowy grace with which the Seiryuu stood, his long hair and delicate features softening his otherwise prickly personality. 'Do I look like that when I pray?' he wondered, 'Probably not. The Seiryuu concentrates so hard but it looks so effortless for him at the same time. I wish I could be so sophisticated.' Unable to resist, he spoke again. "You're lucky," he said, "your powers are so amazing."_

 _Abi's right eye twitched. "Yes, they are," he said with barely-contained frustration._

 _"Will you tell me what it looks like up there?"_

 _"No."_

 _"Why not?"_

 _He'd had enough. "Because I'm trying to understand the mysteries of the universe and I can't do it when I have an annoying kid asking me stupid questions the entire time!"_

 _"Oh…" Zeno did his best not look disappointed. "I'm sorry, I'll go," he said, getting up and dusting his pants awkwardly. "I didn't mean to make you upset."_

 _Abi massaged his temple, immediately feeling guilty for his outburst. He watched Zeno walk away, reminding him of a wounded puppy with his waggy tail drooped between his legs, and huffed at what he was about to do. "Wait," he said, giving up all hope of trying to actually meditate that night, "come back and sit."_

 _Zeno did, and then tried his best not to look exuberant._

 _It irritated Abi how the Ouryuu could do that. "Stop it."_

 _"Stop what?"_

 _"Stop being so…" he struggled to say the word, "cute."_

 _"Cute?" Zeno repeated, confused._

 _"Nevermind," Abi grunted, quickly dismissing the comment. He pointed up and to his right. "Do you see over there?" he asked in an obvious attempt at distraction._

 _Following his finger, Zeno saw nothing but a black patch of sky, but he didn't want to upset him again so he nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah."_

 _"That is what is commonly known as the Kufu Constellation."_

 _"Oh, I know that one! There's nine stars that form the shape of the legendary bear who became king of his whole forest, right?"_

 _Abi smiled. "For most there are only nine stars, I suppose, but I see over a hundred, and they're shaped more like a squid than a bear."_

 _"Kufu the squid?" Zeno laughed, delighted at the very idea. "That would really put a twist in the tale!"_

 _"Yes, it certainly would."_

 _"What about, umm…" Zeno looked around quickly, hoping to at least spot one of the brighter, more famous stars so he could keep the conversation going. Luck struck when he noticed the Northern Guidance Star. "… that one? Does the Tiger constellation look different to you, too?"_

 _Abi nodded seriously. "Yes, very different," he leaned over, as if imparting some great secret. "It really looks like a bowl of noodles."_

 _"Eh?" Zeno blinked and then burst into a fit of giggles._

 _The two dragons spent almost the entire night looking up and talking about the different constellations, laughing together as Abi ruined one myth about the stars after another. Eventually, however, even the Seiryuu couldn't fight back the yawn which threatened to reveal how tired he'd become. He looked down to see that the yellow dragon was practically dozing on his shoulder, a happy smile on his dreamy face._

 _"I enjoyed tonight," Zeno mumbled as they walked back together to their rooms. "Let's do it again sometime."_

 _"I'd like that," Abi had said, before he made his way to his own bedchamber. "Goodnight, Ouryuu."_

Pulling himself out of the nostalgic memory, he sighed, the ache in his heart still present, yet just a little more dull than it had been moments before. "Zeno wishes he could see the stars like the Seiryuu could." Ao squeaked in agreement near his ear.

"I… I could describe it for you," Shin Ah offered, hesitantly. "I don't know if I will be very good, but I can try."

Zeno offered him a warm smile. "I'd like that," he said, and sat himself on the grass.


	3. Christmas Tree (December 5)

**Christmas Tree (December 5)**

 _Summary:_ Zeno sees a Christmas tree and he thinks about someone he hasn't thought of in a long time.

 _Characters:_ Zeno, Kaya.

 _Notes:_ Set sometime in the late sixteenth century, somewhere in the equivalent of AnY's Europe.

* * *

 _Kaya._

 _Was that your name? I think it was. I'll say it again, just to be sure it sounds right… Kaya._

 _Yes. That was it. Kind, beautiful Kaya. I remember it clearly now._

 _It's been a while since I've thought about you and I'm really sorry, it's just been such a very long time. I'll think about you more when I can. It's important that I remember you, especially for when I miss you at times like this._

 _It's called a 'Christmas Tree', Kaya, and it made me think of you the second I found out about this new tradition. You put a real tree in your house and you decorate it with pretty things and candles, and you put presents underneath to give to your loved ones._

 _We could have had one together and draped ribbons and strings all over it. I would have tried to stand it up myself, to save you the effort, and I would have failed miserably, I know. You would have laughed at me, and smiled kindly, and done your best to help. Most likely the tree would have toppled over us both and I would have snuck a kiss from you as we squirmed out from under it. But then your illness would have taken over and I would have carried you to bed and waited with you until you felt better._

 _And then I would sneak kisses from you again._

 _We would have had such fun with the tree. I would have tried to whittle something like a star and you would have sewn cute things to place on the branches. You would have let me hold you as we stood back and admired our handiwork, and suck on your finger when you burnt it on a candle. You would've laughed at the pine needles still in my hair._

 _I hope you're well in Heaven, Kaya. I can't leave a present under this tree for you, so a wish will have to do: I hope that you're looking down on me as I think about you, and I hope you're smiling._

 _Maybe one day I'll even put up a Christmas tree myself, in honour of you._


	4. Hot Chocolate (December 2)

**Hot Chocolate (December 5)**

 _Summary:_ Hak and Jae Ha sip warm cheongju in the evening and chat.

 _Characters:_ Hak, Jae Ha.

 _Notes:_ Based on the _Hot Chocolate_ song " _Are You Getting Enough Happiness?_ "

* * *

Jae Ha let out a quiet laugh, though it was loud enough for his drinking partner to notice. He was on the verge of tipsy - a state in which he was sufficiently relaxed to become contemplative and secretive, apparently, because he didn't volunteer what he had found so amusing. It piqued Hak's curiosity. "What is it?"

Jae Ha lifted his cup of cheongju. "I was just thinking about Kija," he said before sipping.

Hak turned from staring out into the evening. "White Snake?" he asked, a smile blooming on his own lips as the memory of what happened bubbled up. "What in particular was so funny? Was it how loudly he screamed because a tiny bug unexpectedly fell into his dinner? Was it how I got to eat his portion because he wouldn't touch his food afterwards? Was it how he floundered with embarrassment when Yona offered to share her dinner with him and he ended up spilling it all over Zeno? Or was it the way Yun yelled at him like a mother for wasting precious food and dirtying clothes that had just been washed?"

Jae Ha started laughing fully with Hak's play-by-play retell. "All of it," he said, shoulders shaking as he did his best to stop himself from being too loud and disturbing the others inside the inn.

Hak smiled broadly. He liked the sound of Jae Ha's laugh, and it was nice to find that someone actually appreciated his sense of humour - teasing Yona was one thing, but the Ryokuryuu reciprocated, he could give as good as he got (though often to Hak's detriment, unfortunately, and usually exposing his deeply hidden, very private inner emotions to Yona… _the bastard, thank God she's so innocently naïve or he would have exposed me long ago_ ). He hated himself for feeling so vulnerable about it, but Hak was just grateful that there was somebody who understood him.

"To Kija." Jae Ha raised his cup in a toast to his absent compatriot when he calmed down again.

"May he never change," Hak added, lifting his own warm cup.

An ambient silence calmed the air, leaving them pleasantly fulfilled and happy in their own thoughts. They were staying in an inn which was off the beaten track - a double boon for them because the lack of travellers afforded them some much needed privacy and cheap prices. Upon having settled in, the two men had quickly discovered the inn keeper's collection of homemade cheongju for sale and from that point onwards their night had been spent sitting on the back porch, looking out into the dark garden and sipping on some, admittedly, very decent booze.

Hak was the first one to break their silence, airing his inner musing. "Of all things to be afraid of, with all the burdens he carries, and the power he holds in his claw," he looked down at his own hand for effect, "it's bugs which are his downfall."

Jae Ha shrugged his broad shoulders. "He's afraid of other things, too."

"Like what? Certainly not death, if the way he throws himself into a fight is any indication."

"No, certainly not death," he repeated, agreeing. "You can't be when you're a dragon. You have to accept it's coming or you can't survive." He paused, as if it was all he was going to say in the matter. Hak knew better and waited patiently, observing a firefly as it floated past him in the gathering darkness. He wondered if, since technically a firefly was an insect, Kija was afraid of those too.

With a dramatic sigh, Jae Ha finally spoke again. "I'm not afraid of dying, either, you know," he said.

The comment surprised Hak. _Cheongju definitely makes a contemplative and serious man out of the Ryokuryuu…_

"There are worse things than that." Jae Ha looked him in the eyes, offering an irritatingly charming, lopsided grin. "Like unrequited love."

Hak, who was just a stage (or two) beyond Jae Ha (he'd started drinking first, after all), cut his eyes at him. _Forget that last part about being serious_ … having realised that he was probably being set up, he relaxed his posture. "It's not as bad as you might think," he answered honestly, pouring them both another cup each.

Jae Ha let out an obvious huff, his game exposed. "If you're going to be so frank about it then it's no fun for me."

"That was the point. Now we can end this conversation before it even starts."

Instead of answering, Jae Ha took another sip of his drink and then twisted his torso so that he could face Hak again, leaning his side against the wall. "Hmm…" he said seriously.

Hak side-eyed him. "What?" He shifted slightly, clearly uncomfortable under Jae Ha's scrutiny. "Stop staring, it's creepy."

Jae Ha's grin was practically turning feral. "At least now I've gotten you to admit that you do love her."

"Shut up, Droopy Eyes." He downed his own, full cup and poured himself another.

"Ah, there's the Hak I love." Satisfied with his friend's reaction, Jae Ha's smile softened and he turned his body to allow his back to face the wall, so the both of them could again look out into the garden.

The pleasant silence from before re-emerged, only for Hak to break it again. "You once said that imprisoning someone was the worst thing anyone could do."

"Did I?" Jae Ha asked, frowning as he tried to remember. "That doesn't sound like me."

Hak rolled his eyes. "You didn't say it exactly like that. There was a reference to roses and… dirt, or something."

"Oh Hak-kun, I'm hurt you don't remember my beautiful sayings."

"I'll survive."

Jae Ha sighed dramatically, placing a hand over his heart as if wounded. "So cruel… It makes you even more untouchable. No wonder all the ladies adore you."

Hak pulled their conversation back onto its original track before it spiralled into a mess of embarrassing jibes and threats of harm. "Is that really what you fear?" he asked, not understanding it. "More than _death_? You'd rather be dead than imprisoned?"

Jae Ha's expression of amused teasing dropped and he became serious again. "Wouldn't you?" he asked, not looking at him.

"No." Hak's answer was immediate and frank, conveying his confusion. "I'd take being alive any day. You can always find a way to break free if you try hard enough." He took in a deep breath. "If you really wanted to escape, you'd succeed. It's only a matter of willpower."

"Maybe that's true, but freedom is a funny thing. There are plenty of ways to imprison people… some of them can almost make you think you're happy," Jae Ha tilted his head, having figured out why Hak had led him down their current route of conversation, "but I guess you already know that, that's why you're asking."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Jae Ha sipped at his cheongju, his previous look of amusement seeping back into his features. "I'm less drunk than you are and you're not being as subtle as you think you're being."

Hak made a snort of derision. "Whatever. I could drink you under the table."

"Sure," Jae Ha shrugged, "but you'd be right under there with me."

"Maybe." Having his ruse exposed, Hak decided it was best to avoid mincing words. "Loving Yona isn't a burden, you know."

"It's still a trap, though. You don't know what this feels like - to want to run away and selfishly desire every experience the world has to offer - only to abandon your pursuits completely just because your need to be near her is greater than-" Jae Ha stopped and laughed softly to himself. "What am I saying? Of course you know what that feels like."

Hak looked down at the tiny cup engulfed in his large, rough hands, thinking about how very delicate it was. "I _am_ afraid of dying," he said eventually, "because that would mean I would have to leave her. She could hate me, she could even forget me, as long as I can be near her, I'd be satisfied with that…"

Jae Ha sighed but said nothing, afraid that an interruption would draw Hak back into the shell he had apparently crawled out of for the evening. He made a mental note to get inebriated with Hak more often.

"When you love someone, it doesn't matter if they love you in return or not, you need to be near them, no matter what. If I died, she'd go on living, she'd keep getting stronger, she'd succeed against every adversity, but I wouldn't be there to witness any of it. I wouldn't be there to bask in her achievements, I wouldn't see her warm smile or her kind heart anymore. I'd never be able to hide her tears from anyone again." His twisted the cheongju bowl in his hands, willing his body not to shake as he tried to reign in his emotions. "Death would be infinitely worse than the cage I live in," he said and quickly gulped down the remaining cheongju in his cup.

"So," Jae Ha said, understanding, " _that's_ the secret of Kouka's great Thunder Beast. That's how you survive all those things that would kill ordinary humans. Because you're afraid to leave her. That's terribly sad, and romantic."

Hak scoffed. "You mean pathetic."

The Ryokuryuu shook his head, unwilling to allow any self-pity when the man had had the freedom to choose. "At least you made a decision, you're following a path you made yourself. I don't even know if what I feel for her is real or not. You were spoiled," he said, sipping, "you got to have a choice in the matter."

"Did I? What's the difference between a god dictating your emotions, and me feeling it on my own? Neither is really a choice." Hak shifted to make himself more comfortable. "The dragon's blood will never leave you-"

"Not until I die," Jae Ha corrected.

"But by then it will be too late to matter," Hak continued. "For your entire life you'll never be able to change how you feel about her, and neither can I. Maybe I never got any god telling me how I should feel, but that doesn't mean I had the freedom to choose. I didn't decide one day that she would be the one… I can't switch it off any more than you ever could."

"Alright fine, so we're both pathetic." Jae Ha swiped the bottle since he was too impatient to wait for Hak to realise both of their cups were empty. "We're both stuck in a gilded cage, aware of our predicament, and apparently we're very happy about it," he said, pouring. "What does that say about us?"

Hak shrugged nonchalantly. "That we're human, I guess."

"To be merely human goes against my aesthetic."

"That's a lie."

"Oh?" Jae Ha raised a fine green eyebrow.

"You hate being a dragon."

Since Hak was in the mood to spill his secrets, Jae Ha didn't mind revealing a few of his own. "Sometimes," he said, "but not always. And I'd hate it more to be an ordinary man. Then what excuse could I ever have to get Yona to ride on my back?" His eyes twinkled with mischief.

"I should punch you for that."

"But you won't because we're such good friends, you and I."

"I won't because you're holding our only source of booze."

"That too," he stretched out his dragon leg, flexing it briefly before returning it into its crossed position, "but in all seriousness I think I _am_ happy to be where I am right now… with everyone as they are."

Hak raised his cup in a second toast and they both sipped on their cheongju.


	5. Pyjamas (December 7)

**Pyjamas (December 7)**

 _Summary:_ Yona is tasked with waking Hak and the dragons... that's not as easy as it sounds.

 _Characters:_ Yona, Yun, Hak, Jae Ha, Kija, Zeno, Shin Ah and Ao.

 _Notes:_ Feedback for this one would be great as I have no idea if it's actually funny at all... ^_^;

* * *

Yona woke up with a mild headache. Her body was uncomfortably hot, her night shift was sticky against her skin and her scalp felt greasier than it should have considering she'd washed her hair less than two days prior.

"Urgh."

From his sound of disgust it seemed that her tent mate was waking up in the same sort of predicament.

"It's far too hot and humid." Yun sat up groggily and opened up the tent flap. He pulled away immediately but it was too late, the sunlight had already blasted him in the face, piercing his eyeballs and stabbing him all the way through to the back of his skull. "Ow."

Yona had had the fortunate forethought to shield her face with her hand and was thus not subject to such blinding excruciation. "It's late," she noticed, sitting up as well. "Why didn't they wake us?"

"I don't think anyone else is up yet," Yun said as he rubbed the pain away with his palms. "I'm guessing it was harder for them to fall asleep than it was for us. There's more of them in there."

Yona grimaced at the thought of Hak and the four dragons clustered together during the previous night's breezeless heat. "It must have been like sleeping in an oven, and under such a thick tent, too." She felt sorry for them. "I wonder if any of them slept outside?"

"I doubt it. Not unless they wanted to get bitten by every insect that passed them by, and in this weather, there would have been a lot."

"Good point." Being in the height of summer the mosquito situation was bad enough, she couldn't imagine what it would have been like without the added protection of sleeping in an enclosed space. "I'll be grateful when we reach higher ground and it's cooler."

"It can't be helped. Our water supply is low and all of our stuff needs proper washing, so we had to stay close by running water." He bent down and picked up the thick sheet Yona had been sleeping on and tossed it over to a pile of other things he wanted cleaned.

"I suppose it's the perfect weather in which to do one's laundry," Yona said, doing her best to look on the bright side. "There's no better time to spend hours scrubbing in a cool river than on a hot, sunny day. We're lucky." She stood up and began to dress.

Yun turned around to give her her privacy. "Luck had nothing to do with it, this was all carefully planned," he said pridefully.

She grinned. "What ever would we do without our genius bishounen?"

"Probably all starve to death, for starters," he grumbled, but he couldn't help the mild blush which warmed his cheeks, pleased with her use of his official title over that of the dreaded nickname 'mother', chosen for him by the others. "Well, you can wake them," he said, turning around to face her again. "Those exotic beasts are bound to be cranky but they'll complain less if it's you. I'll start on breakfast. Afterwards, we can all go bathe to freshen ourselves up before we begin the day's chores."

Having been delegated the easier of the two tasks, Yona gave him a grateful smile and a small nod for his consideration. "Understood."

He pulled open the tent flap again, this time with significantly more caution.

Once Yun left she adjusted her clothes, running her fingers briefly through her hair to untangle any knots, and then made her own way out, too. It was certainly not the first time that she'd been sent to rouse the others, in fact the task fell to her more often than not: Yun was an early riser and she was a relatively light sleeper - such a combination meant that normally they were awake before the others were, although by the time she got to their tent (or 'dragon nest' as Yun had started calling it) Hak was usually already in some state of consciousness.

"Rise and shine, everyone, time to get u- oof!" Reflexively she took a step back, her nose scrunching as her nasal follicles were assaulted by a veritable wall of stale sweat and musty, male b.o.

She hadn't expected that, ' _although by now I should have really known better_.' Living almost entirely out of doors had taken some getting used to, and travelling with six men had required further adjustments to be made, but Yona had prided herself on her having adapted to her new arrangements relatively quickly - and that included her having become desensitised to human odours. ' I _suppose I don't exactly smell like a bed of roses, either..._ ' she thought, feeling a little guilty for her initial reaction. After all, the whole reason that they were all stuffed together in the first place was purely to ensure that she could be as comfortable as possible with Yun in the other tent.

Mentally preparing herself so that she would show no negative reaction (she figured she'd get used to it in a few moments, anyway), she grabbed the flap and began rolling it up, with the aim of tucking it behind one of the support sticks and letting the sunshine do the job of waking them for her.

For the second time that morning, however, Yona found herself unexpectedly shocked, although this one was of a more paralytic nature and left her gawping unabashedly at the sight before her.

It shouldn't have been _that_ shocking, really, considering the fact that there was nothing on display that she hadn't already seen - there were no… _private_ body parts which were visible (with one glaring exception) - but it was the complete inexpectancy of her view that threw her for such a loop: laid out before her were four dragons plus one bodyguard, completely unconscious and practically lying on top of each other in varying states of undress. The most shocking of them all was Zeno, who, mercifully, was lying _face-down_ directly on the grass below, the protective mat having been rolled away during the night (to allow him to sleep directly against the cool earth, no doubt). His sleeping position, however, was not the problem, it was the fact that he was lying in such a position _stark naked._

Yona had had no other choice but to stare, really, considering it was the very first male butt that she had ever seen in her young life. It was cute, she couldn't help but notice, as she tried desperately to tear her eyes away (failing miserably), and to her surprise it was the same shade as the rest of his skin… which, when she reached the inevitable conclusion as to _why_ that was the case, caused her creeping blush to skip past rosy pink and straight on to deep, dark purple. _How many years must Zeno have walked around completely without clothes to get such an even tan?!_ The intrusiveness of her thoughts snapped her out of her shock enough to avert her gaze.

Except in averting her gaze from Zeno's naked behind, it landed on innocent Shin Ah instead, who was laying on his back, arms and legs spread out over those sleeping either side of him. He was completely and very obviously topless, having kicked off his blanket sometime during the night. Said blanket, as well as his shirt, lay in a messy heap at his feet, little Ao resting on its top, mirroring Shin Ah's sleeping position. His obvious restlessness was a sure sign that he must have spent an uncomfortable night, since Yona knew that once Shin Ah closed his eyes, he could sleep like the dead, utterly motionless until he woke the next morning. Movement to his right caused Yona to shift her attention to Jae Ha, who was rolling from his back onto his right side.

Yona practically smacked her own face as her hands flew up to cover her eyes and grasp at whatever little innocence she still possessed. Like Zeno, Jae Ha had unfortunately decided to forgo the use of clothes altogether, and instead relied solely on a narrow, tangled blanket, draped precariously across his lower waist, to cover his modesty. He must have removed his entire outfit during the night (including, surprisingly, his pants and boots, exposing his dragon leg), because Yona seriously doubted that adorably pedantic Kija - who was also topless but was, of course despite the heat, hidden completely underneath a thin sheet - would have ever agreed to sleep so very close to someone so very naked.

A deep grunt and the sound of someone lightly scratching skin, however, tempted Yona enough to peek through hesitant fingers. Spying that Jae Ha was still tastefully covered, she lowered her hands with a relieved sigh and refocused her attention onto Hak, who had been the source of the noise. His head was less than a foot away from her shoes, but she barely noticed since he too was half naked, his broad, tightly packed, muscular torso visible for all to see. Unlike with the others, however, Yona did not blush at the sight of such naked, attractive flesh. Instead, she instinctively zeroed in on the glaringly obvious scars which mapped his chest.

Her heart began to increase its beating pace and shooting sharp lightning through her whole body. She could no longer see the others in her peripheral vision, there was only Hak and the marks on his flesh. The main scar (the remnant of _that_ fight) - a deep sword gash which began at the tip of his left collarbone and ended above his diaphragm - had healed well, thanks to Yun, but it was still relatively new, barely even a year old, and it burned her eyes with the brightness of its colour. It hypnotised her, a terrible, vivid reminder of everything he had sacrificed for her, of every time that she had failed to protect him. Unable to do so much as flinch, let alone look away completely, a lump, large and unswallowable, solidified itself in her throat. It triggered her memories and they began to flood in, taking over her brain. Yona had seen Hak without his shirt on countless times, and he had seen her with less, but the last time she remembered him like _this_ \- his entire form relaxed, his bare chest unprotected and the gravity of his injury exposed - he had been in Ik Soo's hut, and she hadn't known if he was going to live or die. The pain in her chest felt as raw as the scar on his looked.

She took in a deep, ragged breath, fighting the sting of tears as they threatened to rise and spill out.

"Ogling us while we sleep, Princess? And you call me the pervert."

All the emotion Yona had been feeling died instantly. The lump dissipated, the tears evaporated, her bleeding heart froze, the pain replaced with dread. And horror. And the quickening of a shamefully guilty pulse. She had been caught. There was no getting out of it. Slowly, ever so slowly, she dropped her gaze to her feet, where his head lay, desperately fearing and yet unfortunately knowing what exactly it was she was about to see. When she finally managed to look down, she was greeted with a very much awake, highly amused, smirking Hak.

An unsteady "Uhh…" was about as sound an explanation as she could offer.

"Hak-kun, don't be so mean," Jae Ha admonished, his voice soft with teasing and the dregs of sleep.

Yona's wide, panicked eyes snapped up and clamped onto the precarious blanket, barely covering his unmentionables. When she realised how obvious she was being she flitted her gaze to Jae Ha's face, instead, only to blush feverently at his amused grin. He glanced down at his own nude form before dragging his eyes back up to her. "Do you like what you see, Yona-dear?"

Before she could flounder for an answer, her nightmare intensified as Zeno decided that it would be a good idea for him to wake up too. "Morning Little Miss!" he said, exuberantly and made to stand up.

Yona stood paralysed, too shocked at what she was about to witness to save herself. Her eyes rounded, her nerves tingled. _No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I'm not ready to see a naked man yet!_

Just before he was about to expose himself, a voice, a heavenly, aggressive, irritated voice swooped in to save her. Yun. "Get some clothes on before you stand up, you eternal seventeen year old!"

Yona let out a breath of relief as Zeno flopped himself back onto the ground and grabbed at the nearest piece of clothing he could reach to cover himself with. "Oops!" he giggled, "sometimes I forget about these things in my old age- Ow! Hey guys, Zeno's only made of dragon scales when he's injured, not before!" he yelled as Jae Ha, Hak and Yun proceeded to throw various items at him.

"Then you shouldn't have almost exposed yourself to the Princess." Jae Ha threw one of his boots, laughing.

"You're naked too!" Zeno said, barely dodging.

"You _all_ need to get clothes on." Hak threw Jae Ha's other boot, grinning from ear to ear. "Perverts!"

"You're not babies! Behave!" Yun berated, throwing whatever was closest at hand at all three of the men. Hak and Jae Ha then used the items that hit them against Zeno, too. "I'm throwing those things to stop you, not arm you!" he yelled exasperated. He was duly ignored.

Yona stood there, watching, stunned, though she did notice that the commotion woke poor Kija.

After that, all hell _really_ broke loose.

"What…" he asked, sitting up sleepily, his blanket dropping to his waist, and rubbing at his eyes with his human hand. He stopped suddenly when he spotted Zeno. "Why are you naked?!" he demanded, and then looked down at Jae Ha, only to jump back shock. "GYAHH! YOU'RE NAKED TOO! WHEN DID YOU GET SO NAKED? WHERE ARE ALL OF YOUR _CLOTHES_?!"

"Oh, do calm down, Kija, we were just sleeping."

"HOW CAN I BE CALM WHEN I SLEPT WITH A NAKED MAN?!" He suddenly remembered his own situation and dropped his gaze onto his own torso. "STARS IN HEAVEN _I'M_ HALF NAKED! OH THE DEBAUCHERY!" he bemoaned, loudly. Swiveling around he spotted Yona. "LOOK AWAY, SWEET PRINCESS! AVERT YOUR INNOCENT GAZE! DO NOT TAINT SUCH BEAUTIFUL EYES WITH OUR NUDE FORMS!" He lifted out his claw and attempted to block her view (failing miserably). Hak and the two dragons quickly diverted their attention onto him, making him the new target for their projectiles.

"Shut up, White Snake, it's hot, she's probably going to see us all without our tops on when we do our chores later, anyway!"

Shin Ah awoke with a jerk, terrified in the confusion, and shuffled away into the corner that Ao was sleeping in, not understanding how he had woken up to such mayhem. As he did so, he knocked over a half-dressed Zeno. "Uh oh…" he whispered when he spotted the look of mischief spreading across the Ouryuu's face.

"Pile on!" Zeno yelled and tackled Shin Ah with all his might, sending the both of them flying and landing their full weights over Jae Ha ("Get off of me! Since when do you two weigh so much?!") and Kija, whose dragon claw THEN accidentally smacked Hak in the face.

That was the last straw. "Oh," Hak sat up and cracked his knuckles, "it's on."

"Now Hak…" Jae Ha tried, soothingly, recognising the look, "there's no need to take this further than it's gone."

"Whatever you say, Droopy Eyes." Hak pounced.

What had started as a slight rukus, turned into a five person, half-naked, all-out brawl.

"Guys!" Yun yelled, fuming. "If you don't stop it now, breakfast will likely be burnt!" He was, once again, ignored. With all the commotion, Yona doubted that he was even heard.

Having had time to recover from her somewhat harrowing experience, Yona had the presence of mind to reach up for the tent flap and drop it, lest she see any exposed bits during the fracas. "Perhaps we should start eating without them?" she suggested.

From inside the tent they could hear the distinct sound of a bad imitation of a growl. " _Rwaaaarrr!_ "

"Ow! _Stop biting me, you crazy kid!_ I'm not a piece of meat!"

"No kicking!"

"But it's my only advantage!"

"I'll show _you_ advant- Oof!"

"Avast ye pirate!"

"Oh, so we're playing that game!"

" _Jae Ha, no no n- ARGH!_ "

"THIS IS FOR THE BLACK EYE YOU'VE JUST GIVEN ME!"

"Urgh, my head…"

"Aren't we supposed to be allies?!"

"And now I shall attack!"

"Not the claw _not the claw NOT THE CL_ \- _DAMMIT White Snake!_ "

"I am the Hakuryuu! Bow before me!"

" _Rwaaarrr_!"

"I SAID GET AWAY! STOP TRYING TO EAT ME!"

"That's it! Chew, Shin Ah! Chew! _GYAAAAAAAAH! MY BUTT!_ "

"Hak's made a whip out of a shirt!"

"Destroy the Dark Dragon!"

" _Come at me! I'll take you all on!_ "

"WHY ARE YOU STILL SO NAKED?!"

In some ways, Yun thought it was actually worse not seeing what was going on, and what injuries were likely to follow. He let out an exasperated sigh. "Sure," he said, replying to Yona's question about eating, "and then we'd better pick some willow bark, I think we're going to need it."

Yona followed him to the campfire, giggling to herself as she and Yun left the pandemonium in the tent behind.


	6. Candy Cane (December 4)

**Candy Can (December 4)**

 _Summary:_ _Hak watches Yona suck on a candy cane... not healthy dude. Seriously. Get a grip._

 _Characters:_ _Hak, Yona, Jae Ha, with mention of Kija, Yun, Shin Ah and Zeno._

 _Notes:_ _Modern setting. Short, cheesy obsessed!Hak x oblivious!Yona fluff._

* * *

Hak's mind would ordinarily have been filled with a multitude of thoughts. The fact that Kija was lucky enough to come from a family with sufficient funds to buy him his own apartment while he, on the other hand, had to work two jobs just to make rent and supplement his tuition was one such thought. The fact that a particularly difficult political science final was coming up in less than three weeks was another. Then there was also the problem of having an exam-revision session with Jae Ha (who was doing a PhD in Music and therefore had _no actual exams_ to revise for…) and with Zeno (who kept eating all the damn snacks), since having those two present (especially together) inevitably led to distractions. Shin Ah doodling over his notepad instead of actually studying could have also raised a mild cause for concern (the boy _never_ asked for help when he needed it). Then there was also the mild hunger that the smell of Yun's cooking was inducing. Without a single doubt, however, what _should_ have been at the very top of the list of things that Hak could have been thinking about, was trying to remember just _who_ the bright spark was that thought having a study group at Kija's would be a good idea in the first place (it was probably Yona).

Yes, there were many things which could, should and ordinarily would have taken up Hak's attention. So many thoughts which would have, under normal circumstances, whizzed through his active, clever mind.

But these were not normal circumstances for Hak, not in the least, because Yona was sitting on the couch, not more than three feet away from him, in jeans, an oversized off-the-shoulder sweater and rainbow socks. That, in itself, was distracting enough, but the situation was in fact, much direr.

Her legs were bent at the knees, you see, and resting on her lap was a mock exam which Yun had prepared for her while the pre-med busied himself in the kitchen making more snacks. Settled on her face was look of determined concentration as she wrote on the paper with a ridiculously bejewelled, fluffy pen. She was adorable, and worse, with every obstacle she overcame on the test she was becoming more and more confident. It was obvious from the way her eyes lit up, he could see it as clear as day. And that was terrible news for Hak. On any given Sunday Yona was hot. Like, you-could-fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk kind of hot, like searing-a-steak-on-a-barbecue-in-the-height-of-summer hot, or even burningly-spicy-vindoo hot (the food metaphors were because he was so hungry), but a _confident_ Yona? When she had something to prove and then she actually did it? Then Hak was in deep, deep trouble. Because when she was in that sort of mood, she was nothing short of being the most irresistible creature ever to walk the earth. That was when she was the best version of herself.

But then… _then_ if things weren't bad enough, they turned to disaster: the second that she had reached into the bowl of candy and started sucking innocently on a candy cane, he was undone. He might as well have just given up and gone home, wrapped himself in a ball on his bed and died right there. At that point, when the candy entered her mouth, any semblance of human thought completely and utterly abandoned Hak's brain. His entire world suddenly became a thin, striped stick of sweet peppermint.

She had no idea, of course. None whatsoever. As she wrote with her silly little pink pen, as her cute brow furrowed while she impressively resolved one difficult maths question after the other, she was completely oblivious to the tortuous effect she was having on the man sitting on the floor adjacent to her. Her lips puckered slightly when she sucked on the candy cane, her cheeks hollowing whenever she pulled it out of her mouth to write (it appeared she couldn't both eat the candy _and_ note down her mock test answers at the same time for some strange reason, something which inexplicably made the whole thing hotter).

He could smell the peppermint from where he sat - sweet, minty and unreasonably intoxicating considering the fact that it was just a piece of hard sugar syrup and artificial flavouring... but then, it was a piece of hard sugar syrup and artificial flavouring _in her mouth_. Her lips encapsulated the shaft, that silky tongue of hers tasting every part of it, gently sucking away layer after sweet layer of E numbers and peppermint… Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that there was an actual, genuine reason as to why he was in Kija's apartment, some more legitimate explanation other than to stare at the woman he'd had feelings for since she was five and he was eight, but for the life of him he couldn't recall what it was (although it wasn't exactly trying very hard). He vaguely remembered that there was an untouched textbook sitting on the coffee table against which he was leaning, and an open highlighter in his hand, but why would he care about those things when instead he could watch Yona slide a slippery-smooth little stick between a pair of lips so soft and perfectly made they practically proved the existence of a God? Her mouth created a seal around the candy cane, creating a vacuum as she sucked and he couldn't help but notice that every time she pulled it out there was a little noise, like a tiny kiss, as the vacuum was broken. Each sound sent a jolt of current down through him and that was definitely _much_ more enthralling than whatever the politics book thing was… politicking about, or something. _I'm not a hormonal teenager. I am an adult male in my final year of undergrad,_ he thought to himself, valiantly, _I need to get a grip_ _._ But that idea was quickly tossed out as soon she stopped sucking and began nibbling on the edge of the stick. His breath hitched in his throat and it suddenly became necessary for him to shift in his position. He thanked God for having shoved on one of his baggier hoodies when he'd dressed that morning. It made things easier to… _hide_ when sitting.

"You're working hard, Yona dear."

Jae Ha's comment unpleasantly ripped Hak out of his trance-like state. He knew he should have been grateful for it, but all he could do was glower at the interruption.

Yona pulled the cane away from her lips as her concentration was broken, wide eyes looking up from her paper. "Hm?" she asked.

"I said you're working hard."

She smiled pleasantly. "Yun gave up a lot of time to make a good mock exam for me to practice on, I want to make him proud," she admitted.

"That's adorable." Jae Ha wasn't looking at her, Hak observed, but instead eyeing up the candy in her hand. "Can I have a taste?"

Yona pointed to the table. "The candy bowl is right there."

Hak ducked his eyes onto his textbook, pretending not to have noticed the conversation going on in front of him.

"But there're no more candy canes and I really wanted one," Jae Ha said. "It's almost Christmas, after all."

Hak raised his eyes discreetly to see what her reaction would be. She scrunched her nose slightly (which, in his opinion, made her look like an adorable bunny). "But I've been sucking on it," she said, lifting the cane a little higher so it could be visible to Jae Ha.

"That's all part of the appeal, Yona dear."

"Jae Ha!" Kija intervened before Hak could say anything, appalled at the innuendo. "You're being inappropriate."

The man in question transferred his sharp, devilish grin over to his new victim. "Isn't that part of _my_ appeal?" He waited until he could clearly see the blush forming on Kija's cheeks before turning back to Yona and giving her an over-reactive pout. "If Soo Won was here I bet you'd let _him_ have a taste."

Darting her eyes away at the comment, Yona begrudgingly handed over the stick. "You're terrible," she mumbled.

"All's fair in love and war." Jae bit off a small piece and rolled it around on his tongue. "Yum," he said, and handed it back to her. "Thank you." As she put it back in her mouth and began sucking on it again Jae Ha's grin widened (Hak thought he looked like a shady deviant). "Technically, I can now say that we've kissed."

"We have not." Yona rolled her eyes but Hak noticed the look of amusement on her face.

Seeing that she was enjoying his teasing, Jae Ha continued on. "Oh, but we've shared the same candy. It's practically the same thing."

Yona giggled, slightly embarrassed by his flirting. "You're incorrigible."

"Only because you're irresistible. Let me have another bite."

"No," she tapped his hand lightly when he reached for it, "Yun is bringing more snacks."

Jae Ha snapped his hand away, clutching it with the other. "But I'm not hungry for food, only kisses," he said.

"We were _not_ kissing."

He offered her another pout. "Just one more?"

Giving in, Yona sighed in mock exasperation and moved to hand Jae Ha the candy. "Just one," she warned, smiling.

Before Hak realised what he was even doing, he snatched the stick from her hand and shoved the whole thing into his mouth, chewing it and swallowing it down in less than the blink of an eye. He looked down at his open textbook and highlighted a random line, feigning nonchalance. "Get back to work, Jae Ha. You're distracting everyone."

"Hak, you ate all my candy!"

Just for a millisecond Hak panicked as he looked up and noticed her wide-eyed shock at what he'd don _e (_ _You_ _idiot, what is_ wrong _with you?! Get. A. Grip!_ ) It was ridiculous to feel so jealous, he didn't have that right to be, but how was he going to explain himself? "I was saving you," he said, relying on the oldest trick in his book to distract her from the truth. "If you eat too many sweet things at Christmas, you'll definitely gain weight."

Yona's ensuing rage and physical contact with him (via heavy nougies and hard cheek pinching) was totally worth all the pain which came with it.


End file.
